Fifteen individuals, including thirteen officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), appeared in court on Tuesday, accused of involvement in the vanishing of two Indian nationals and their Kenyan driver.
This group is suspected of being part of the mysterious disappearance of Mohamed Zaid Sami, Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, and their taxi driver, Nicodemus Mwania Mwange, in July of the previous year.
Out of these suspects, thirteen are former members of the now-closed Special Services Unit (SSU) within the DCI, while one officer hails from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and one is a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warden.
When they stood before Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage at the Kahawa Law Courts, they were accused of multiple charges, including abduction with an intent to harm, planning to commit a serious crime, subjecting individuals to cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment, as well as committing acts of cruelty, inhumanity, or degradation.
In addition, the fifteen individuals were also charged with collaborating in acts of cruelty, inhumanity, degradation, and forgery.
The prosecutor representing the public objected to the release of the accused on bail and requested that they remain in custody until the case is heard.
The prosecutor argued, “Due to the extreme seriousness of enforced disappearances which constitutes an international crime, a violation of human rights amounting to a crime against humanity.”
The Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions issued a statement on Tuesday, “The DPP recognizes that the investigations into this matter are complex and I hereby direct the Inspector-General to inquire into the aspect of murder and torture as a Crime against Humanity under the International Crimes Act No. 16 of 2008.”
The suspects will be held in detention at Kiambu GK Prison until a bond ruling is made on November 3.
Mr. Sami and Mr. Khan had reportedly arrived in Kenya in April 2022 to join the ICT campaign team of the then deputy president, William Ruto, in preparation for the August 2022 General Election.
They vanished on July 25 after being abducted outside the Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi.
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